Method of and means for making reinforced concrete floors



April 6, 1943. H ATH 2,315,956

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING REINFOR'CED CONCRETE FLOORS iled Oct. 17. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l $0 i J 1 1L1 7 INVENTOR- q wa /H4 M 35 @w Je Ja A ATTO EYS F. HEATH April 6, 1943.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING REINFORCED CONCRETE FLOORS 'Filed 001:. 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MM N w? ATTORNEYS.

a "w E L A v\ .0 m m 7 m 7 m X x w ,9 w\ x r n w 2 A a Patented Apr. 6, 1943 IVIETHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING REINFORCED CONCRETE FLOORS Frederick Heath, Tacoma, Wash, assignor to Chadwick N. Heath, Decatur, Ga.

Application October 17,1939, Serial No. 299,851

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a system of constructing floor slabs of reinforced concrete beams in connection with tile block panels. My invention includes the method of making the floor slab, and the units which I employ between the beams, and also special tile forming the margin or boundary of the unit and the channels for receiving the concrete beams being cast.

More particularly, my method comprises making up panel units by placing boundary tile of special shape, designed to form the mold for the concrete beam to be cast, in conjunction with standard filler tile. Such composite unit may be formed on the forming floor, but I prefer to form it in advance, and then place a metallic band or wire tightly about all the tile of such unit, thereby building it into one unitary structure.

The boundary tiles are so formed that, when adjacent units are placed on a forming floor in contact with each other, spaces result between them making a mold for forming the concrete beam. Accordingly, in making a floor slab it is only necessary to cover the entire form work with the floor units abutting each other, and then to place reinforcing bars in the channels between adjacent boundary tile and castthe concrete in such channels. Concrete is then placed over the whole surface as is the usual practice and thus a completed reinforced floor slab is produced.

In such a floor as described, my boundary tile forms the soffits beneath the reinforced beam, and accordingly an undersurface is provided composed entirely of my special units, with the result that a ceiling is provided entirely of tile well adapted to receive and retain the plastering, or a ceiling without plaster.

My system is adapted for either a one-way or a two-way arrangement of beams and with various dimensioned units as required. As the space between the beams is composed entirely of my units of grouped blocks bound together, I can make up units of the dimensions required using the same or similar boundary tile with suitable intermediate filler blocks of ordinary tile of required dimensions.

The boundary tile is a celled member having a projecting flange along one edge at the bottom and a return at one end. The return has a form corresponding to a cross-section of the flange. Such boundary tile are placed about the sides of a suitable filler block or made up of more than one block if desired, which may be a square or rectangular block of ordinary burnt clay, and the'parts are bound together by a metallic band applying sufficient tension to hold the parts together as a rigid unit. These boundary tile are cut slightly short so that in building tightly the filler block or blocks will be secure.

I may employ boundary tile at the four sides of the filling block, making a filler completely surrounded by the boundary tile, or I may place the forming tile on three or only two sides of the filler block.

When my boundary tile are placed on the adjacent sides of the filler block, the return on the end of one of the tile overlaps and registers with the flange on the adjacent boundary tile. When two of the blocks are placed on the form work with their flanges abutting, I these flanges and returns on the adjacent tile form-sofiits of the beams cast in the spaces above the flanges and returns.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is aplan of a floor embodying my invention, this view being broken away into several planes to indicate the condition in the successively lower portions of the floor; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionof the floor taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, this view indicating also the false floor work used in constructing the floor slab; 'Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved boundary tile used in the construction of the floor slab; Fig. 4 is an end view of such tile; Fig. 5 is a perspective of a panel unit made up of my boundary tile, an internal filler block and a binding band; Fig. 6 is a perspective of such unit in the process of assembling, indicating means for stretching-the binding band and fastening it; Fig. 7 is a view illustrating two of my boundary tile units, without returned ends on opposite sides of a filler block; Fig. 8 is a View illustrating two of my boundary tile on adjacent sides of a filler block, one with returned. end and one without; Fig. 9 is a view illustrating my boundary tile on three sides of a filler block; two with returned ends and one without; Fig. 10 is a view of a composite unit made up of one of the units of Fig. '7 and two of the units of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a view of another assembled unit made up of four of the blocks of Fig. 8 where a larger panel block is desired; Fig. 12 is a vertical section of the unit embodying top and bottom slabs of a filler tile between the boundary tiles, as would be made of some cementitious material, as gypsum; Fig. 13 is a plan, partly broken away, of one of the panel units shown in Fig. 1.

Referring first to my new boundary tile, as shown in side view in Fig. 3, and in end view in Figs. 2' and 4this tile, designated A, is shown as an elongated hollow upright member having a vertical inner wall it, an outer wall H, an outward flange l2 at the lower end of the outer wall, and a return l3 at the end. The return projects beyond the end the same distance that the flange does beyond the side and each of them are con nected with the corresponding vertical faces by fillets l4 and I5. The bottom wall N5 of the tile aligns with the return and flange. The tile has a top wall I! and various intermediate horizontal webs l8, of which three are shown.

The inner vertical face of the tile is preferably scored or has slight projections I9 which may be opposite the webs. The outer face of the tile about half way up the height thereof has a groove 20. This groove is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as recessed into the upright outer wall, but if desired can be made by making two small horizontal beads on the outer face with a space between them, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 13, I have shown at 30, a, hollow filler tile of usual commercial form. As shown, such tile is square, and has one horizontal web 3| (Fig. 2) and two vertical webs 32, thus dividing the interior into six voids which extend from end to end of'the tile.

In making up a unit for two-way beam construction, where the beams are to have the same spacing in the two directions, I take one of the square filler tile and place about it four of my boundary tile A, each of which is so placed that one tile at the return end overlies the end of the adjacent tile with the return registering with the flange, as shown in Fig. 13.

In building the floor with the two-way equally spaced beam construction, I place the units illustrated in Fig. 13 close together on a horizontal platform or false floor, indicated at B, in Fig. 2, the extreme edges of the flanges and returns of one unit thus abutting the extreme edges of the flanges and returns of an adjacent unit, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Now when the units are so placed, the space between the upright walls I l of the adjacent units and above the flanges and returns presents an upwardly facing channel of the proper width and depth for a concrete beam.

Before the beams are cast, in the channels mentioned, suitable reinforcing bars 40 are placed in the channels, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and then the concrete is poured into the channels and finally over the tops of the units to make beams of proper width and depth and a floor 5| of the desired thickness, thus completing the floor ready for removal of the false work, when the concrete has set. I

It will be seen that the voids of the filler tile are closed by the boundary tile so that I avoid waste of concrete which has heretofore resulted in employing standard filler tile, due to the concrete passing into the ends of the voids. A very small amount of concrete maybe wasted in the voids of my boundary tile at the return end, but this is immaterial. Suflicient concrete does pass into the narrow cracks between the boundary tile and. the filler block to effectively bind the block in place to resist any load on the floor directly over the block, but such concrete is of small amount, and there is no waste.

The boundary tileA in the construction above described are made slightly shorter than the width or length of the square filler block, plus the thickness of the tile, so that when four of the tile are placed about such block, with the returns registering with the flanges, there is a narrow space between the vertical end of each tile and the inner face of the adjacent tile. In other words, the filler block is slightly larger than the space which would be enclosed by the four boundary tile if tight together. The result is that the boundary tile may be forced tightly against the sides and ends of the filler tile. Such tight position of the tile and filler blocks is effected before the concrete is poured.

If the tile and fillers are placed independently on the false floor, they may be wedged or forced laterally and suitably blocked to retain them in snug position while the concrete is poured. I find it convenient, however, to form the units of the filler block and adjacent tile in advance of placing them on the floor, and then place them as compositeunits. When this method is employed, the filler block with its adjacent tile is assembled on any suitable support and a metallic band placed about the unit under tension to draw the boundary tile tightly into engagement with the filler block.

If desired, the metallic band about the tile may consist of one or more turns of wire, the ends of which are twisted together by employing a suitable pair of pliers. I prefer, however, to use the bands and clamps on the market under the name of Signode. In such case, a single metallic ribbon is placed about the unit, with the ends of the ribbon overlapped; tension is then applied to such end portions, and a channel-shaped clamping member which embraces them is forced into and around the sides of the ribbon to effectively lock them together.

Figs. 5 and 6 indicate units held by Signode bands 60, the overlapping ends being secured by the clamping member 6 I. Fig. 6 indicates, at 62, a tensioning device which is clamped to one portion of the band, and engages the band near its other end after it has been wrapped around the unit and by manipulation of the handle 63 serves to tension the band. 65 at Fig. 6 indicates a Signode tool for pinching in the sides of the channel-shaped clamp 6| into the band to bind the overlapping portions of the band together. Such band and clamp are shown and described in Signode Patent No. 1,123,805, and means for applying them are described in the published literature of the Signode Steel Strapping Company, of Chicago, Illinois.

Whether the Signode band or some other me tallic band, or a simple Wire of one or more turns, is employed, such member occupies the groove 20 in the outer face of the tile, and when thus applied cannot shift up or down.

By binding the boundary tile about the filler block preparatory to placing the unit on the floor, I am sure of the tight engagement between the tile and the filler block, preventing any Waste of concrete between them, and I provide units which are very readily handled and easily placed on the false floor.

To insure a certain amount of concrete passing between the filler block and the boundary tile, I may employ thin spacers or shims between the filler block and boundary tile. Such shims are indicated at 35, in Fig. 13. When employed, they are placed in up and down position against the closed sides of the filler block 30, then when the boundary tile are forced toward the filler block such tile snugly abut the ends of the filler block while narrow spaces for concrete are left at the sides of the block, as indicated in Fig. 13. I regard this construction, with the entire unit bound with a Signode band, as the preferable way of making up the unit.

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the entireuntier-surface of thefloor'is composed of tile, This enables. betterfapplication of? the: ceiling-. 'plaster than if such plaster were applied partly to. concrete beams andpartly-to the tiles. lt hasbeen found that cracks are avoided and the'appearance improved when. the plaster i'siappli'ed to a surface of uniform material,

I have described themethod of making concrete floors with my tile; particularly with reference to a two-way-beam Construction, where the spacing is: the. same in each direction, and wherethe units accordingly are. square. Suchv units, however, may be of other rectangular shape than square, by simply using rectangular filler blocks shorteron one sidethan the otherand employing shorter boundary tile on the. shorter ends of the rectangular filler blocks. Such con struction enables the beams in one direction: to

be spaced more widely than those in; the other and added another one of my standard tile A- to the opposite side from the tile A-l'. This makes a very convenient construction'for use at the end. portions of a floor employing the twowaybeam construction, the beams extending above the three flanges shown, and'there being a wall at the end of the unit where the boundary tile terminates flush with the end of the filler block.

The unit of Fig. 9 readily adapts itself tomaking up elongated units for two way construction; thus, in Fig. 10, I have shown aumt made up of two of the units of Fig; 9, and an intermediate unit like Fig. 7, where the filler'b'lock is bounded on opposite sides by returnless tile Al. This construction is well adapted for'two-way construction, where the beams in one direction are spaced materially wider than" those in the other direction.

Fig. 11 illustrates a unit made up of four of the units of Fig. 8. Thus, in Fig. 11, I show four square filler blocks 30,,which abut each other along the inner sides and ends, and are bounded by the returned boundary tile A andbythe'nonreturned tile Al on the two outer sides.-

Any of the composite units described'may be assembled on the false floor or previously assembled and secured by the metallic bands, as already explained. While in general I prefer a two way beam construction, as the load at any point is thereby distributed to other beams than the two on opposite sides of the concentrated load, there are occasions when a one way construction is ample. My tile is well adapted. for such use by omitting the returns, thus. making the end of the-tile flush throughout, so that the tile may be lined up end to end and thus provide a continuous channel for the one-way beam.

In one-way construction, I may employ units composed of a single filler block 30, and two of my tile without returns on the opposite sides of the filler block, as shown at A-l in Fig. 7. These units may be placed end to end with the flanges aligned, these. flanges coacting with the flanges of other units in a parallel row, whereby there are channels between them in which the parallel concrete .b'eams will be cast, the flanges forming the soflits. of thebeam.

In place ofusing the filler tile 30 inits commercial form, as. heretofore mentionechI may employ top and bottom slabs of suitable cementitious material, such as gypsum. Such slabs are illustrated at 10 and H, in Fig; 12. In this case, the boundary tile members A-2' are preferably made of similar cementitious'materiahso that" the entire'bottom surface of the floor will be of the same material, thus insuring a better application of the applied plaster.

When the separate slabs are. employed, I form a'rab-betZB in the upper portion of the inner tile wall Ill, and I. form a bevelled recess 26 in the lower portion of. such side. When the unit, of such; tile and slabs is formed andboundtogether by a metallic band in the outside groove 20, it may be handled as a unit in a manner: similar to the unit of Fig. 12. However, if desired, the bottom slabs H and the boundary tile may be placed on the false floor and'then the topislabs 10 applied. afterwhich the parts are. held snugly in engagement by lateral pressure previous to the casting of the beams.

It will be understood from the preceding description, and from the illustrations in the drawings of some or the difierent units which may be made up by the use of my tile, that I have provided a system of floor construction readily adapted to meet many different conditions occurring in building practice. My tile provides for one-way or two-way construction, as desired; In either case, the tile itself forms themold for the concrete beams, and provides tile soffits for such beams; As my tilecloses-the voids of the filler blocks, waste of concrete in such voids is overcome. My tile may be assembled with suitable fillers on the floor, in accordance with present practice when that is desired, or all of the parts of the unit bound together previously, as I prefer, thus reducing the labor at the false flooring.

My .tile is adapted for economical manufacture by extruding dies, operating similarly to the present general practice. As the voids from the. tile extend from end to end, the corresponding tile may be of any length desired, by'si-mply cutting oflf the material as extruded from. the'die. To form the returns it is only necessary to move the cutting Wire in a proper curve, as the material is I extruded. The height of the tile may be reduced I member, it to be understoodthat such term is not used in the limited sense of meaning a burnt clay member, but is broad enough to cover a member of corresponding shape made of any suitable material, as for instance, concrete or other cementitious substances, as already re- Ierred toin describing the embodiment of Fig. 12.

I claim:

1. The method of making floors comprising forming hollow tile with a projecting flange along one side at the bottom of the tile, thereafter placing such forming-tile in engagement with a filler, then binding the tile and filler together to make a composite unit with the flange ex.- tending outwardly, thereby producing units which may be placed in contiguous relationship on a-suitable support to enable casting a concrete beam in the space provided between adjacent-tile and above their flanges.

- 2.' The method of constructing masonry floors comprising placing on four sides of each of a plurality of rectangular fillers, floor tile having outwardly-projecting flange portions at the lower edge of the sides and returns at the end; the return of one tile aligning with the flange of'the adjacent tile, locating such tile-and-filler units with the tile flanges of one unit substantially engaging the tile flanges of another similar unit to provide upwardly open channels at right angles to each other between adjacent units and above their flanges, placing reinforcing bars in such channels "and casting concrete beams in such channel about the reinforcing bars and in engagement with the tile flanges and the tile faces above the flanges.

3. A masonry unit for concrete floors comprising a filler member and separate tiles engaging at least two adjacent sides of the filler member, said tile having outwardly projecting sideflanges at the bottom, one of said tile overlapping the end of the other tile, and placing an embracing band about the elements specified to hold'them together,

4. A masonry unit for concrete floors comprising a rectangular filler member, and four tile engaging edges of the filler member, each tile having aprojecting side flange and a return at one end, the return on one tile overlapping and registering with the end of the flange on the adjacent tile, and means for holding the four tile and the filler member together. i 7

5. A masonry unit for concrete floors comprising a rectangular filler, tile engaging edges of the filler member, each tile having a projecting side "flange and 'a return at one end, the return on one tile overlapping and registering with the end of the flange on the adjacent tile, and a metallic band extending around the entire-unit and seating in an external groove in the tile and binding the parts together.

6. A masonry unit for concrete floors comprising a rectangular filler, tile members engaging the four sides of the filler, each tile member having a projecting side flange at its bottom and a return at the end, the return on each tile member overlapping and registeringwith the end of the flange to the adjacent tile member, and-a metallic band extending around the entire unit engaging the four tile members and binding them against the filler. H

7. A masonry unit for concrete floors comprising'two end portions, each consisting of a flller member and three tile members adjacent three sides of the filler member, each tile member having an outwardly projecting flange adjacent its base and two of said tile members having-returns at their ends, whereby an uninterrupted outward flange is formed about three sides of the end portion, and an intermediate portion between the exposed vertical faces of the two end portions, said intermediate portion having a filler member and tile on the opposite sides thereof, with out ward flanges registering with flanges of the end portions, and means for holding the tile and filler members-together.

8. YA masonry unit for concrete floors comprising'four rectangular filler members placed together in two directions to form a larger rectangular filler, and hollow tile-members extending about the outer vertical faces oflsuch' four component parts of the larger filler, each tile member havingan outward flange adjacent its base and four of the tile members having returns at their ends to align with the flanges of tile at right angles thereto, whereby an uninterrupted flange is formed about .the entire unit, and means for holding the tile and filler member together.

9. A masonry unit for concrete floors comprising four hollo'w tile membersplaced about an open rectangular space,- ea'cl'r'tile member having an outward flange adjacent to its base and having a return at the end overlapping the flange of an adjacentrtile, each tile member being recessed on its i'nner'face with two recesses, one at the top and the other at the bottom, a' horizontal floor slab occupying the upper recesses and the horizontal ceiling slab :occupyingthe lower recesses, and means for holding thetile and slabs together.

A masonry unit for concrete floors, comprising a rectangular filler member, hollow'tile engaging edges of the'fille'r member, each tile having aprojecting side flange and positioning shoulders on its upright wall on theside having the flange, and a band surrounding the filler and edge tile to make a composite unit, said band being retained in position by said shoulders) 11. A masonry unit forconcrete floors com prising-a hollow rectangular fillerwit'h its voids horizontahforming tile at each of the edges-of the filler, said forming tile having outwardly projecting side flanges adjacent the bottom, the forming tile at the ends of the voids of the filler tile substantially engaging and closing such voids, some of such forming tile projecting beyond the filler tile to overlap the adjacent forming tile at right angles thereto and having their end port onsspaced a short distance-from the adjacent tile, and embracing means for holding all of the forming tile in position about the filler.

A masonry unit for concrete floors comprising a rectangular filler; a tile on at least two edges of the filler, one of said tile projecting beyond the filler across the end of the adjacent tile, both of said tile having outwardly projecting side flanges adjacent to the-bottom and one of the tile having a return overhanging and registering with the side flange of the other tile, and a metallic band extending around the unit and binding the parts together.

13; A tile member for a masonry floor, said tile member having an upright portion and a flange portion along one side near the bottom and a return atone end nearthe bottom projecting a' distance corresponding to the width of the flange, whereby the return-on the end of one tilemay align with the flange on the side of a similar tile at right angles thereto, and a groove in the outer face of the tile running parallel with the top and bottom thereof, andsubstantially in the mid-height region, said groove being adapted ,to retain a band securing the tile to an adjacent structure.

FREDERICK HEATH. 

